Sheet tray

Abstract

A second tray is movable along a first direction, relative to a first tray, between a first position and a second position. The second tray includes a rail extending along the first direction, and engagement portions disposed along the rail. The rail includes an overlap portion which overlaps a sheet support surface of the first tray when the second tray is at the first position. A guide member is supported by the rail and movable along the first direction to contact an edge of a sheet supported by the second tray. A contact portion of the first tray disengages the guide member from one of the engagement portions upon contact with the guide member during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position while the guide member is supported at the overlap portion of the rail.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sheet tray comprising:
 a first tray including a first support surface configured to support a sheet, and a first contact portion; 
 a second tray attached to the first tray and movable along a first direction between a first position and a second position, the second tray including:
 a second support surface configured to support a sheet and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a first area when the second tray is at the first position, and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a second area when the second tray is at the second position, the second area being smaller than the first area; 
 a rail formed in the second support surface and extending along the first direction, the rail including an overlap portion configured to overlap the first support surface when the second tray is at the first position; and 
 a plurality of engagement portions disposed along the rail, the plurality of engagement portions of the second tray including a plurality of notches arranged along the first direction; and 
 
 a guide member supported by the rail and movable along the first direction to contact an edge, in the first direction, of the sheet supported by the second support surface, the guide member including an engagement shifter changeable between a first state in which the guide member is engaged with one of the plurality of engagement portions and locked from moving, and a second state in which the guide member is disengaged from the plurality of engagement portions and movable, wherein the engagement shifter of the guide member includes:
 a protrusion configured to fit, from above, into one of the plurality of notches; 
 a second contact portion opposing the first contact portion of the first tray in the first direction, 
 a first plate extending in the first direction and deformable at one end in the first direction thereof while the other end thereof is fixed, and 
 a second plate extending upward from the one end in the first direction of the first plate, wherein the protrusion is disposed at the first plate, and the second contact portion is disposed at the second plate, 
 
 wherein the first contact portion of the first tray is configured to change the engagement shifter from the first state to the second state by contacting the engagement shifter during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position while the guide member is supported at the overlap portion of the rail, and 
 wherein the engagement shifter is configured to move up when the first contact portion and the second contact portion contact each other during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position. 
 
     
     
       2. The sheet tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tray includes a cutout formed along the first direction in the first support surface from one end thereof proximate to the guide member, the cutout being located at a position corresponding to the rail in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and dimensioned to allow the guide member to move thereinto, and the first contact portion is disposed at the cutout to oppose the guide member in the first direction. 
     
     
       3. The sheet tray according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second contact portion includes an inclined surface which is inclined such that a portion of the inclined surface closer to the first contact portion is located at an upper position, and 
 wherein the engagement shifter is configured to move up when the first contact portion contacts and is guided along the inclined surface during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position. 
 
     
     
       4. The sheet tray according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first contact portion includes an inclined surface which is inclined such that a portion of the inclined surface closer to the engagement shifter is located at a lower position, and 
 wherein the engagement shifter is configured to move up when the second contact portion contacts and is guided along the inclined surface during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position. 
 
     
     
       5. A sheet tray comprising:
 a first tray including a first support surface configured to support a sheet, and a first contact portion; 
 a second tray attached to the first tray and movable along a first direction between a first position and a second position, the second tray including:
 a second support surface configured to support a sheet and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a first area when the second tray is at the first position, and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a second area when the second tray is at the second position, the second area being smaller than the first area; and 
 a rail extending along the first direction, wherein at least a portion of the rail of the second tray is configured to move in the first direction under the first contact portion of the first tray such that the first contact portion overlaps a part of the rail in a direction orthogonal to the second support surface when the second tray is at the first position; and 
 
 a guide member supported by the rail and movable along the first direction to contact an edge, in the first direction, of the sheet supported by the second support surface, the guide member being configured to: 
 move fixedly with the second tray relative to the first tray before the guide member contacts the first contact portion of the first tray during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position; and 
 move independently of and relative to the second tray after the guide member contacts the first contact portion during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position. 
 
     
     
       6. The sheet tray according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the second tray further includes a plurality of first engagement portions disposed along the rail, and 
 wherein the guide member includes an engagement shifter configured to change, upon contact with the first contact portion of the first tray, from a first state to engage the guide member with one of the plurality of engagement portions to a second state to disengage the guide member from the plurality of engagement portions. 
 
     
     
       7. The sheet tray according to  claim 6 , wherein the engagement shifter includes a second contact portion configured to contact the first contact portion, and a second engagement portion configured to engage one of the first engagement portions. 
     
     
       8. The sheet tray according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the rail of the second tray includes an overlap portion configured to overlap the first support surface when the second tray is at the first position, and 
 wherein the engagement shifter of the guide member is configured to change into the second state, upon contact with the first contact portion, during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position while the guide member is engaged with one of the plurality of first engagement portions which is located in the overlap portion. 
 
     
     
       9. A sheet tray comprising:
 a first tray including a first support surface configured to support a sheet, and a first contact portion; 
 a second tray attached to the first tray and movable along a first direction between a first position and a second position, the second tray including:
 a second support surface configured to support a sheet and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a first area when the second tray is at the first position, and overlap, from below, the first support surface over a second area when the second tray is at the second position, the second area being smaller than the first area, wherein the first contact portion of the first tray overlaps, from above, at least a portion of the second support surface when the second tray is at the first position; 
 a rail formed in the second support surface and extending along the first direction, the rail including an overlap portion configured to overlap the first support surface when the second tray is at the first position; and 
 a plurality of engagement portions disposed along the rail; and 
 
 a guide member supported by the rail and movable along the first direction to contact an edge, in the first direction, of the sheet supported by the second support surface, the guide member including an engagement shifter changeable between a first state in which the guide member is engaged with one of the plurality of engagement portions and locked from moving, and a second state in which the guide member is disengaged from the plurality of engagement portions and movable, 
 wherein the first contact portion of the first tray is configured to change the engagement shifter from the first state to the second state by contacting the engagement shifter during movement of the second tray from the second position toward the first position while the guide member is supported at the overlap portion of the rail. 
 
     
     
       10. The sheet tray according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first support surface includes a cutout formed along the first direction from one end of the first support surface, the cutout being located at a position corresponding to the rail in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and dimensioned to allow the guide member to move thereinto, and 
 wherein the rail further includes an exposed portion configured to be exposed through the cutout when the second tray is at the first position.